So I tried using glossy paper instead of PNP blue today

[Mark Hammer]

Yep.  You MUST use a toner-based system.  What you print that toner onto is a separate matter.  It could be paper optimized for laser printers, inkjet printers, or baby diapers.  Whatever you do, two things must be in place: there MUST be a layer on the surface of the paper/sheet that will "detach" from what's underneath it, and there MUST be some capacity for that layer to have toner fused with it.  As long as you can meet those two requirements, everything else can be coped with.  If you fail to meet even one of them, then the process will fail.  That is why you cannot print with an inkjet printer onto PnP and have a viable transfer, and it is also why you can't just use a piece of plain photocopier paper in a laser printer and try to iron the prionted pattern onto a copper board.  No toner in the first instance, and no detachable layer in the second.

[Ry]

Okay, got it.  Thanks!

[johngreene]

The parts that worry me a little (and which is why I shall stick to photo paper for the moment) are that: a) having a shiny coating on both sides of the paper puts the smooth surface of the iron at risk for getting gunked up and impeding smooth ironing motions

Mark, I always layer a piece of 'regular' copy paper over the Women's Day sheet. 

I found that sheets from Cosmopolitan work better than Women's Day.   

[dschwartz]

i use ordinary copier paper..and works like a charm.. the key is in the ironing technique..i like it even better than PNP, if you make a mistake, is cheaper and easier to get.

[Mark Hammer]

Paper CAN work exceptionally well for pennies on the dollar compared to PnP, however its resolution is not quite as good as PnP.  This is partly because of the granularity of the coating/layer/emulsion on paper vs PnP, partly because of the way it pulls off of a paper backing (a little on the ragged side), and partly because the acetate sheet allows for more "precision ironing" than paper does.

The rule of thumb I tend to use in choosing a medium is this:

• if the layout includes traces running between 2 adjacent IC or transistor pins, OR
• if there are more than two traces running between the two sets of pins on each side of an IC, OR
• the traces are generally thin, OR
• the space between the various traces and pads is tight, OR
• there is a surface mount device ANYWHERE on the board

...I use PnP.  As it turns out, given our collective fetish for simple discrete through-hole circuits here, paper IS quite acceptable for the vast majority of layouts posted since few of them have the properties listed above.  However, when you do encounter something that calls out for more precise transfers, it is helpful and wise to have some PnP around.  The dioes come a point where Sharpie/Lumocolor/X-acto knife touchups no longer pass muster and simply fail to deliver the needed quality..

[darron]

i've been able to get REALLY good and detailed transfers using clear projector film in the past... it's cheap as too. anyone else tried this? don't melt it to your iron

[dschwartz]

Paper CAN work exceptionally well for pennies on the dollar compared to PnP, however its resolution is not quite as good as PnP.  This is partly because of the granularity of the coating/layer/emulsion on paper vs PnP, partly because of the way it pulls off of a paper backing (a little on the ragged side), and partly because the acetate sheet allows for more "precision ironing" than paper does.

The rule of thumb I tend to use in choosing a medium is this:

• if the layout includes traces running between 2 adjacent IC or transistor pins, OR
• if there are more than two traces running between the two sets of pins on each side of an IC, OR
• the traces are generally thin, OR
• the space between the various traces and pads is tight, OR
• there is a surface mount device ANYWHERE on the board

...I use PnP.  As it turns out, given our collective fetish for simple discrete through-hole circuits here, paper IS quite acceptable for the vast majority of layouts posted since few of them have the properties listed above.  However, when you do encounter something that calls out for more precise transfers, it is helpful and wise to have some PnP around.  The dioes come a point where Sharpie/Lumocolor/X-acto knife touchups no longer pass muster and simply fail to deliver the needed quality..

well i would never consider to build something with SMD..even with a really high definition transfer, the soldering skills and tools for those kind of devices are out of my scope...never tried, never will either, i rather modify the layout for  normal devices..

i HAVE made some really detailed high def boards with normal paper..the quality of the image is more important than the type of paper..
when using paper, it gives the illussion of less definition because of the "peach fuzz" texture of the paper.. but i (carefully) clean the peach fuzz off the traces and the definition is awesome..but there´s a lot of practice involved.. my first attempts were´nt that succesfull..

[railhead]

i've been able to get REALLY good and detailed transfers using clear projector film in the past... it's cheap as too. anyone else tried this? don't melt it to your iron

That's all I ever use nowadays. I tried the PnP, but I didn't like the results (which were my fault, I'm sure). I just print out a couple/few boards on a transparency sheet and go for it -- if I mess up, I acetone the copper and hit it again without feeling the pain of wasting PnP.